Do you know who you are?

Attached is a picture of one of my client’s cats – Mica. As you can see, Mica is extremely comfortable with the two dogs and sleeps every night with them. She thinks she’s a dog. This is because she came in the house at the same time as the dogs and never learned anything different. Her owners never tried to change her mind.

The lesson we can all take away is that you are what you think you are. People poo-poo the power of positive thinking and the power of words. They shun the adage “fake it until you make it” but studies have proven that it works. No matter what is going on in your life right now, smile especially if you don’t feel like smiling. If you aren’t feeling beautiful wake up every morning and look yourself in the mirror and say “I’m gorgeous dahling.” If you aren’t feeling like you are enough, write down three times a day “I am enough just as I am.” Words, written and verbal, have power.

Changing your thinking requires a significant amount of resources in the short-term and then, just like a car, periodic check-ins and tune-ups. The reason that this works is because of Cognitive dissonance. This is a proven psychological principal. It can be used for good or for bad (for example to get people to do things that seem horrific, but let’s not dwell on that).

Where do you want to be? I was telling a friend you should dream big, but plan small. That means that you should have big lofty goals, but the way to get there isn’t to make huge changes. Start with something small. Remember the journey of a 1,000 miles really does begin with one step. And then another, and another and then you’ve gone your 1,000 miles.

Mica is a physically a cat, but she can roll in a dog’s world. Let us know what world you want to roll in and how you are going to get there. Put your dreams out there in the universe.